Photographic camera



Patented Jan. 5, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.,

GARS'OM A. RIGGS, O1!"l ROCHESTER, EW YORK, ASSIGNQRTO EASTMAN` KODAKCOM- PANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPOlkk'llQlTv OF NEW YORK.

PHOTOGRAPHIQ CAMERA.

Application led October 1,7, 19.21,. Serial No. 598,212.

To all whom t may, concern.;

Be it known that I, Generici A. Rises, a citizen ofthe Unitedl States ofAmerica, residing at Rochester, in the county of Mon.- roe and State ofNew York, have' invented certain new and useful Improvements inPhotographie Cameras, of which the following isa full, clear, and exactspecification.

This invention relates to photography and more particularly to aphotographic camera, -and has for its. object to provide a simple, cheapand efficient meansffor holding thefilm in the focal plane ofthe cameralens. To these and other ends the improvements are directed-particularlyto means for iold'ing the lilm flat withoutl obstructing the loading ofthe film into the camera; to means for constructing such a device whichwill press the longitudinal edges of the film against a frame; to meansfor mounting the lilm pressing device in the camera so as to co-operatewith the film clamp usedl in connection with the film tilting mechanism;to means for pressing thel film; flat vwhich will permit of focusing theobjective in assembly; to means for pressing the `film flat which willlend itself' t0 efficient production, and to means for equipping oldcamerasrwith such a spring. YWith these and other objects in view, theinvention consists in certain novel arrangements and combinations ofparts such as will be fully hereinafter. described, the novel featuresbeing pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

o In the drawings, in which like reference characters denote like partsthroughout,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a well known type of camera, with one sideremoved, constructed in accordance with and illustrating one'embodimentof my invention;

. Fig. 2 vis a front elevation of a part of the camera shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line III-TII of F 2, butincluding parts not shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the film spring removed from the camera; and

Fig. 5 is a section through a portion of a camera illustrating certainfeatures` ofl my invention.

lull rst describe Such parts ofthe @amv era aser@ necessary forunderstanding., my. invention. The; camera body 1- supports a lensboard2by means oflazy.I tongs 3, there being an objective 4 carried by ashutter casing (not shown)y which is mounted in the lens board.v SpoolsS formv a means for taking up and supplying the film band F, which isdrawn across the bellows frame. When I refer to lilm band` inl thisspecification, I am. referring tothe film and backingpaper or to the Hlmbackingpaper and carbon paper, as is provided for film used in a cameraof this type. A bellows 6 isheld at one end Z` by the frame 5 and at theother end by a frame S affixed to the lens board 2. A removable circulardoor 9 is attached over the window 10 of the camera back 11- moved tolock the film band against the bel lowsv frame 5 by a cam 18 operated byopening the door 14. This construction islikewise old, being of the typeshown in U. S.. Patent No. 1,251,105, Riddell, Dec. 25, 1917.

Comingfnow to my invention, a spring plate 19 having formed up ribs 2Ois fastened in the camera back llpreferably by a pimple anda dimple7connection 21-21 to plate l5, formed by indenting the metal by means ofa pointed instrument after plate 19 is positioned on plate 15. Thisconneclion is shown in Fig, 2 where the bellows frame 5, togetherwithlother parts of the camera, havev been removed. Fig. 4 shows thespring plate 19 before being-assembled. A flange 22V is bent along theupper edge 23 leaving a smooth, thin, rounded edge, which will notobstruct the film passage 24, (F ig. 3)` which. isY thel opening betweenthev back wall 11 and the front wall or face 5 of theSaid spring beingattached to the camera bellows frame. In the present camera the focalplane of the lens corresponds to the exposed side of the bellows frame,so that the bellows frame 5 also forms an exposure frame against whichthe film band is held. rfhe side wall 25 is removed for loading thecamera, being held in place by a locking bar 26 aetuatedby a button 27of well known construction.` When the camera Kis being loaded, the hlmband F can be readily entered, as is shown in fine dottedv and dashedlines, Fig. 3. As is also shown in this view, the edges 28 f the filmare pressed against the longitudinal 4edges of the exposure frame 5holding the 'film in the focal plane, which corresponds to the plane ofthe bellows frame against which the film lies. The rounded ribsv 20present a .smooth surface to the film band, and ifoffset or frictionmarks should occur due to this pressure, the markings will be outside ofthe picture area.

As theV tension on ribs 2O is derived from the spring in the metal plate19, acting from the fold 28,it will be noted that there is a tendencyfor the bottom 211 of the plate to swing until rib 2O contacts with thebellows frame when the camera is not loaded (dashed lines Fig. 3).Attention is also called to the fact that the rounded edge 25 of bellowsframe 5 together with a rounded side 26 of i'ib 2O together form aguideway for the lower edge 27 of the film band. This greatlyfacilitates loading.

In order to properly focus the objective 4l when the camera isassembled, and in order to clean the lenses of the objective, the springplate 19 has a large central aperture 28 to correspond to the window 10of the camera back. Small apertures-29 are to permit the assemblingr ofcertain rivets or screws used in the construction of' the camera.

A film pressing device constructed as above described not only adds verylittle cost to a new camera in both manufacture and construction, butcan also be applied readily to cameras on the market. I contemplateproviding the spring plate 19, as shown in Fig. 4, as a separate part.This can be attached to a camera by merely springing out the upper endof plate 15 (as it is fastened only at end 16-16 to the bach 11) andinserting flangeV 22 beneath it. The

'spring tension of plate 15 will hold satisfactorily but Iprefer to usea sharp punch and connect the parts by a piinple and dimple ashereinbefore described.v

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a camera, the combination with an exposure frame, of a springmounted in the camera for constantly lmaintaining a yielding pressuretoward the exposure frame,

along one edge only, the film being loaded into the camera against thepressure of the spring.

In a camera, a film positioning plate having film pressing ribs formedthereupon adapted to hold a film fiatl 3. In a camera, a filmpositioning plate having film pressing ribs formed ,thereupon adapted tohold a ,film fiat, and a' flange on the plate, said fiange beingattached to the camera.

4. In a camera., a film pressing plate havingribs thereon 'forpressingthe film flat against a part of the camera, said ribs presenting asmooth surface to the edge of a lilm being loaded into the camera, 5. Ina camera, a film pressing plate having a rib carried by the plate forholding a film flat by pressing along the edge thereof, a surface of'the rib being shaped to assist in guiding a film into position whenloading the camera.

6. In a camera, the combination with a film clamping plate, a hingeddoor for actuating the clamping plate, and a film pressing springcarried by the first mentioned plate,

the clamping plate holding the film when thedoor is open, and the springconstantly ex-l erting a pressure upon the film to hold it flat,iirespective of' the position of the clamping p ate.

7. In a camera, the combination with a movable plate attached to thecamera back, of a spring for holding the lm fiat in the camera, a fiangeon said spring extending around the edge of the plate.

S. ln a camera, the combination with a rain-1era back wall, and anexposure frame, of a spring for holding a film fiat in the openingbetween the wall and frame, a removable end wall permitting a film to beloaded edgewise into the opening between the back wall and frame, theSpring presenting a smooth continuous surface to an edge of' a filmbeing inserted into the camera and guiding thev film into a position inwhich it will be held flat against the exposure frame by the spring.

9. In a camera, the combination with a camera back wall, and an exposureframe.l of a spring between the back wall and the frame adapted to holda film flat against the frame, a removable end wall to the camerapermitting a film to be loaded edgewise into the opening between theframe and back, a portion of the spring lying adjacent to a side of theopening so as to leave a free passage for the lm.

10. In a camera, the combination with a camera back wall, and anexposure frame having an opening therein, of a spring of greater widththan the opening in the exposure frame in the space between the abovementioned parts adapted to hold a film flat against the frame, saidspring consisting of a thin metallic metal plate touching the back Wallof the camera at one side only.

l1. In a camera, the combination with a camera back Wall, and anexposure frame, of a spring in the space between the above mentionedparts adapted to hold a lm fiat against the frame, said springincluding' a plate having ribs adapted to press the longitudinal edgesof the film, the spring plate beingi supported in the camera by means ofa portion of the plate on one side only, parallel to the ribs.

Signed at Rochester, New York, this 12th day of October, 1921.

GARSHOM A. RIGGS.

